The dissidence of the extinct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) known as Segunda Marquetalia has released on Saturday four people it was holding hostage in the department of Nariño, in the west of the country.
The four people released have been handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has detailed that the operation took place in a rural area of Nariño, reports Colombian radio station RCN Radio.
Likewise, the humanitarian organization has detailed that the operation and the negotiations have counted with the collaboration of the Ombudsman’s Office, the Colombian Catholic Church and the Personería of the municipality of Tumaco.
«The parties to the conflict must protect the lives and dignity of those who are not participating or who have ceased to participate in the hostilities and must treat them humanely in all circumstances,» said the ICRC representative in Nariño, Michel Arisi.
In this sense, Arisi praised the «humanitarian gesture» of the Segunda Marquetalia dissidents in handing over these four people, who will now be able to be reunited with their families at Christmas time.
«In the releases we fulfill a strictly humanitarian role as a neutral intermediary,» Arisi said, stressing that the ICRC makes no reference to the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping, nor does it provide private information about those released.
«These strict protocols guarantee the neutrality, independence, impartiality and confidentiality with which we work and allow us to continue helping those affected by armed conflict and violence,» said the ICRC official in Nariño.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
